At Fire and Safety Solutions Ltd we are often surprised by the diverse attitudes business owners have towards fire risk and the law. Many of our clients are very risk aware or appreciative that the law is in place to protect people from the risk of fire, therefor initiate contact with FASS to either purchase Fire Safety Equipment or request a Fire Risk Assessment. These people we genuinely congratulate on their positive attitude towards keeping people safe and we wish everyone was like minded.
Then there are the minority, those who feel that either the law does not apply to them or that it’s a cost they can not justify so they will ignore the regulations. It’s hard to believe that such attitudes exist but we recently read about one such case in the Fire Management Journal which we would like to share with you (you can view the full article here).
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service were made aware of a complaint relating safety of Mirch Massala restaurant in Mansfield Woodhouse. Officers visited the premises in October 2013 and identified a number of serious safety issues including the only escape staircase from the upper floor unprotected from any fire in the kitchen, a lack of adequate fire doors, a lack of fire detectors and alarms and a lack of emergency lighting.
A Prohibition Notice was issued to the restaurant owner Gia Kamali, which prevented the use of the upper floor, which was being used as sleeping accommodation and also stopping use of the first floor except as a store room. A follow up visit took place in April 2014, which found that the Prohibition Notices had been breached as the first floor was being uses as accommodation.
Kamali appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on 4 February and admitted three breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He was fined £15,000 and given a one month prison sentence for two breaches and a two month sentence for the final breach all to run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay £14,000 in costs.
Speaking on the article, Paul Wilkinson, Managing Director of FASS said; “It’s very frustrating and disappointing to read some peoples poor attitude towards fire safety although it’s good to read that Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service were very vigilant and followed through from inspection to prosecution, preventing a potential tragedy. There is no excuse to not carry out a Fire Risk Assessment and act on the recommendations to make sure you comply with fire regulations. It’s as simple as picking up the phone or sending an email to a company like ours and we will do the rest for you, it could not be easier. I would urge anyone who has not recently carried out a Fire Risk Assessment to contact us and arrange for this to be done.
To find out more about our Fire Risk Assessments please visit our dedicated page with further information or alternatively please contact us to arrange your assessment.
